Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics , commonly in association with superhero Batman.
The character made her debut as "the Cat" in Batman 1 Spring , and her real name is Selina Kyle. She is Batman's most enduring love interest and is known for her complex love-hate relationship with him. Catwoman is a Gotham City burglar who typically wears a tight, one-piece outfit and uses a bullwhip for a weapon.
She was originally characterized as a supervillain and adversary of Batman, but she has been featured in a series since the s which portrays her as an antiheroine , often doing the wrong things for the right reasons.
The character thrived since her earliest appearances, but she took an extended hiatus from September to November due to the developing Comics Code Authority in These issues involved the rules regarding the development and portrayal of female characters that were in violation of the Comics Code, a code which is no longer in use.
Catwoman has been featured in many media adaptations related to Batman. Actresses Julie Newmar , Lee Meriwether , and Eartha Kitt introduced her to a large audience on the s Batman television series and the Batman film. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character in 's Batman Returns. Halle Berry starred in 's Catwoman ; this, however, was a critical and commercial flop and bears little similarity to the Batman character. A young version of Kyle was played by Camren Bicondova on the television series Gotham although Lili Simmons portrayed an older Kyle in the series finale.
